Chapter 25: Academy is discontinuing service(3)

For some reincarnators, terrorist attacks at the academy might be commonplace, but for ordinary students, it was an unimaginable catastrophe. Even though the attack was quickly suppressed, it left a deep scar on the student body.

What was the Imperial Academy? An educational institution run by the imperial family, gathering talent from across the nation. This year, a sudden influx of international students had altered the demographic, but to ordinary students, the Imperial Academy was the future of the Empire, its very heart. A sentiment echoed by the former emperor who founded the academy, and upheld by the current imperial family.

And that academy had been attacked. This was tantamount to a declaration of war against the Empire. Students aware of this worried about the future, and even those who weren’t could sense the shift in atmosphere from the increasing number of personnel at the academy. Tension filled the air.

Students became withdrawn, and most extracurricular activities ceased. Clubs that normally met outdoors either went on hiatus or moved their activities indoors. The lack of activity further dampened spirits, creating a vicious cycle.

The academy’s efforts to encourage outdoor activities through practical training classes weren’t in vain. They were trying to change this atmosphere. But even with the academy’s efforts, it was difficult to alleviate the students’ anxiety.

“This… actually worked?”

A swordsmanship professor exclaimed in amazement. A single student had succeeded in changing the academy’s atmosphere where their best efforts had failed.

His name was Aslan. A man who renounced his noble title to become a great swordsman like his grandfather, already famous across the continent as the Little Sword Emperor even before entering the academy. And now…

“The Defeated Sword Emperor is challenging him again!”

From Little Sword Emperor to Defeated Sword Emperor. He had become the icon of defeat.

****

It had been two weeks since Aslan started challenging Prince Ellen. As I intended, he challenged Ellen daily, and daily, he experienced defeat. Even worse…

“…It ended even faster.”

“…Yeah.”

Violet and I, munching on popcorn from the commissary, provided daily commentary on their duels. I focused on their swordsmanship, while Violet pointed out the discrepancies from the original story. And the result…

“Is this right?”

Violet narrowed her eyes at me. It seemed this, too, was vastly different from the original.

“What’s different?”

“Everything. Well, I know the original plot was derailed a long time ago.”

She, too, had contributed to derailing the original plot, so her expression was one of resignation.

“I just didn’t expect to see it get derailed in real-time.”

“Is it that bad?”

“It is.”

In a fight against a stronger opponent, unless it was a real battle, the weaker party always had more to gain. Being weaker meant there was more to learn. Simply absorbing those lessons could improve one’s skills. Therefore, opportunities to fight stronger opponents were rare. In my past life, I often read interviews in the esports scene, another interest of mine besides web novels, where weaker teams struggled to even find practice partners.

It was natural. Stronger individuals had no reason to spar with weaker opponents who offered no benefit and might even become future enemies.

“Aslan’s growth rate is definitely faster than in the original.”

Fortunately, Prince Ellen gladly accepted Aslan’s challenges. Partly because they were friends, but also because Aslan was the only one, besides me, who could match Ellen in a duel. And so, Aslan grew rapidly. However…

“But Ellen’s speed in defeating Aslan is growing even faster!”

That’s right. Aslan’s growth was accelerating, but Ellen’s ability to defeat him was accelerating even faster. To an uninformed observer, Aslan might seem to be regressing, not improving. He was being defeated more decisively with each passing day!

“He’s openly being called the Defeated Sword Emperor now…”

The ruler of a small sword had become the ruler of a defeated sword. Aslan had earned a title that even I, officially recognized by the Commander as a master of Defeat Swordsmanship, had not obtained.

“But he says he’s happy.”

“…He wasn’t like this before.”

You ruined everything. Ignoring Violet’s accusatory gaze, I watched as Aslan, after failing his twentieth northern expedition against Ellen, dejectedly walked away. And then…

“Are you okay?”

Daisy, holding a wet towel, approached Aslan. He looked down, avoiding her gaze.

“Sorry, I lost again.”

“No, you did well. Ellen looked surprised for a moment there.”

It was true. After being knocked down by a powerful blow, Aslan had sprung back up, kicking up dust as if to say, “I fell to gain momentum!” He was a completely different person from the composed, upright fighter he’d been at the beginning of the academy.

“Ugh, look at all this dirt. The servants will have a hard time with the laundry.”

“Sorry.”

“Are you apologizing to me? Apologize to the servants later.”

“Okay, I will.”

Daisy scolded him gently as she wiped the dirt from his face and clothes. Aslan blushed slightly and nodded.

“…”

And Prince Ellen, watching them from a distance with a wistful expression. He was too clean, not a speck of dust or even a bead of sweat on him after his overwhelming victory, so he couldn’t receive Daisy’s care.

Sorry, Ellen, but I’m not changing anything. When we return to the kingdom, I’ll arrange a blind date with a nice young lady from a good family. Just forget about Daisy. Please.

“Damn it, he’s using Daisy’s maternal instincts…”

Violet, who was rooting for the imperial prince, muttered under her breath, but that was her problem, so I ignored it. After parting with Daisy, Aslan, his earlier dejection replaced by a bright smile, headed towards our usual training spot, but…

“You came?”

It wasn’t Aslan, the Little Sword Emperor, or rather, the Defeated Sword Emperor, waiting for me.

“…Sword Emperor?”

The real Sword Emperor was waiting for me.

****

Aren, the head professor of the Swordsmanship Department, the Sword Emperor. Honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to like him. He’d given some guidance to our King and the Commander in the past, which led to our King, who admired him, naming all his sons similarly, causing endless confusion. And he was the main reason I was studying abroad in this distant land, caught in the middle of a ropan, all because he’d accepted the position of head professor at the Imperial Academy.

But I didn’t dislike him either. He was an idol to all swordsmen and the epitome of a knight in the eyes of the public.

Of course, he’d never actually been a knight or belonged to a knightly order, but the public image of a knight was largely based on his legendary deeds. And those deeds were truly heroic.

Naturally, this created a positive image of knights, and Leon, the Kingdom of Knights, benefited greatly from it. So, despite everything, I had no strong feelings about him. He’d summoned me once, trying to recruit me into that ropan club, or rather, the Flower Arranging Club, but he’d let it go when I refused. A professor-student relationship, that was all. But why…

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

…Why the sudden one-on-one meeting? This was bound to make me uneasy.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from my grandson.”

Damn it, Aslan, you were the culprit? I felt betrayed.

I’d done my best to help your romantic pursuits. You were just flirting with Daisy moments ago, and this is how you repay my kindness?

“Is that the cursed sword?”

He’d even told him about the cursed sword.

“Yes.”

“May I try it?”

The cursed sword? I almost blurted out, “Are you serious?” but that would make me look like the idiot who let his grandson use such a dangerous weapon. So, I confidently handed it over, as if it were perfectly harmless.

“Hmm.”

The Sword Emperor unsheathed the cursed sword, examined it, swung it a few times, then chuckled and returned it to me.

“An interesting weapon.”

“Right?”

“Useless to me, though.”

He meant he could already freely control his full power. It might sound arrogant, but coming from the Sword Emperor, it was probably just a statement of fact.

“With a few modifications, it could be used in swordsmanship classes.”

“I believe the Empire has already confiscated and is studying it. Perhaps you could inquire?”

“Is that so?”

“Shall I connect you with the person in charge?”

I was planning to sell out Aryn. He’d betrayed my fragile trust twice; a little betrayal on my part wouldn’t hurt.

“No need. That’s a task for me, as a professor.”

It seemed the curriculum for next year’s academy was being decided. The course title would probably be something like “Understanding Your Limits with a Cursed Sword.” That might actually be interesting.

“We’ve strayed from the topic. I came here to make you an offer.”

“I’m definitely not joining the Flower Arranging Club.”

My resolve on this matter was even firmer than when he’d first suggested it, but…

“That’s not it.”

It seemed I’d jumped to conclusions.

“I’ve seen how much my grandson has changed, thanks to you.”

“Uh, well…”

I was speechless. This old man, always catching me off guard.

“Right?”

Aslan might be happy spending time with Daisy, but to an outsider, it looked like he was constantly losing and tarnishing his reputation. He was hailed as the Little Sword Emperor, destined to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, but recently, he’d become a laughingstock, the Defeated Sword Emperor. The Sword Emperor, his grandfather and the reason for his title, might see me as the cause of his grandson’s downfall.

“It was good.”

“Huh?”

But the Sword Emperor’s reply was completely unexpected. What? Family problems? There were rumors of friction between the Sword Emperor and Aslan’s father when he accepted a title from the Empire, but he didn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge.

“It’s natural for a swordsman to lose. I lost many times when I was young.”

But his smile was warm, filled with nostalgia. If this were a novel, there would be a half-chapter flashback sequence.

“The more you get used to defeat, the better. Some may point fingers, but if you don’t challenge yourself, you’ll never lose.”

In other words, he lost because he dared to challenge.

“My grandson experienced defeat, he was broken, but he stood up again. That’s all that matters.”

This wasn’t a swordsmanship professor praising a growing student. This was a grandfather, looking at his grandson with pride and affection. And so, the old man, with a warm smile, made an offer to his grandson’s friend.

“Young man, would you like to learn swordsmanship from me?”

An opportunity.

A fortuitous encounter.

…This wasn’t a graduate student recruitment pitch, was it?